[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 136 (Friday, July 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34836-34837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17010]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-60284; File No. SR-CHX-2009-05]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc.; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change to 
Article 20, Rule 1 Relating to the Declaration of Trading Halts on the 
Exchange

July 10, 2009.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act'') \1\, and Rule 19b-4 \2\ thereunder, notice is hereby given 
that on July 7, 2009, the Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc. (``CHX'' or the 
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and 
II below, which Items have been prepared by the CHX. CHX has filed this 
proposal pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 19b-4 (f)(6) \3\ and requests 
that the Commission waive the 30-day pre-operative waiting period 
contained in Exchange Act Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii).\4\ If such waiver is 
granted by the Commission, this rule proposal, which is effective upon 
filing with the Commission, shall become immediately operative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    CHX proposes to amend Article 20, Rule 1 relating to the 
declaration of Trading Halts on the Exchange. The text of this proposed 
rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at (http://www.chx.com) and in the Commission's Public Reference Room.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, the CHX included statements 
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule changes and 
discussed any comments it received regarding the proposal. The text of 
these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV 
below. The CHX has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B and C 
below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange is proposing to modify its rules relating to the 
declaration of Trading Halts on the Exchange. Currently, Article 20, 
Rule 1 requires two Senior Officers of the Exchange to agree to suspend 
or restart trading. ``Senior Officers'' has traditionally been defined 
by the Exchange as a person with the title of Senior Vice President or 
above. To ensure that it has proper coverage at all times, the Exchange 
proposes to increase the pool of persons with authority to declare or 
lift a trading halt to all officers of the Exchange designated by the 
CEO to have such authority. This action would provide sufficient 
flexibility to ensure that the Exchange always has adequate personnel 
available to suspend or reinstate trading on the Exchange when 
necessary. The requirement that the CEO designate the officers with 
such authority provides assurance that those officers have sufficient 
experience, judgment and knowledge to make those decisions.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with Section 6(b) of the Act in general,\5\ and furthers the objectives 
of Section 6(b)(5) in particular,\6\ in that it is designed to promote 
just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and 
coordination with persons engaged in facilitating transaction in 
securities, to remove impediments and perfect the mechanisms of a free 
and open market, and, in general, to protect investors and the public 
interest by allowing CHX to amend Article 20, Rule 1 relating to the 
declaration of Trading Halts on the Exchange to ensure that the 
Exchange always has adequate personnel available to suspend or 
reinstate trading on the Exchange when necessary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will 
impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate 
in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed 
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others

    No written comments were either solicited or received.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    Because the foregoing proposed rule change does not: (1) 
Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public 
interest; (2) impose any significant burden on competition; and (3) 
become operative for 30 days from the date on which it was filed, or 
such shorter time as the Commission may designate if consistent with 
the protection of investors and the public interest, it has become 
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \7\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6) thereunder.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). When filing a proposed rule change 
pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the Act, an Exchange is required 
to give the Commission written notice of its intent to file the 
proposed rule change, along with a brief description and text of the 
proposed rule change, at least five business days prior to the date 
of filing of the proposed rule change, or such shorter time as 
designated by the Commission. The Exchange met this requirement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) normally may 
not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of filing.\9\ 
However, Rule 19b-

[[Page 34837]]

4(f)(6) \10\ permits the Commission to designate a shorter time if such 
action is consistent with the protection of investors and the public 
interest. CHX has requested that the Commission waive the 30-day 
operative delay. The Exchange notes that the proposed rule change is 
substantially similar to a rule change proposed by NYSE Arca, Inc.\11\ 
The Exchange also believes that it is important to implement this rule 
change as soon as practicable to ensure that the Exchange has adequate 
personnel available to suspend or reinstate trading on the Exchange 
when necessary. The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day 
operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the 
public interest because it should further the Exchange's ability to 
suspend or reinstate trading on the Exchange when necessary in the 
public interest. For this reason, the Commission designates the 
proposal to be operative upon filing with the Commission.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \10\ Id.
    \11\ See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.13; see also Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 44983 (October 25, 2001), 66 FR 55225 
(November 1, 2001) (SR-PCX-00-25).
    \12\ For the purposes only of waiving the operative date of this 
proposal, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact 
on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 
78c(f).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    At any time within 60 days of the filing of such proposed rule 
change, the Commission may summarily abrogate such rule change if it 
appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate 
in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise 
in the furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule 
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of 
the following methods:

Electronic Comments

     Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
     Send an e-mail to [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-CHX-2009-05 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, 
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-CHX-2009-05. This file 
number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To 
help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, 
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on 
the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all 
written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are 
filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to 
the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other 
than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the 
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and 
copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10 
a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of the CHX. All comments 
received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit 
personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit 
only information that you wish to make available publicly. All 
submissions should refer to File Number SR-CHX-2009-05 and should be 
submitted on or before August 7, 2009.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\13\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-17010 Filed 7-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P